21 A-List Clean Makeup Favorites, From A Celebrity Makeup Artist

The creme de la resistance: Denno’s makeup recommendations. Let’s start with foundation, shall we? “There are, I mean, oh my gosh—there are so many beautiful foundations to choose from now,” she begins. “I have a lot of sun spots on my cheeks. So I like to use just a bit of foundation on the cheeks to cover up some of that and down the bridge of my nose. I like Kjaer Weis Cream Foundation or Vapour Beauty Luminous Foundation Sticks if I want an easy thing.” 

And if you’re struggling to find a clean option that matches your unique skin tone, Exa High Fidelity Foundation may just be your best friend. “So there’s the Exa Foundation line. It’s 43 foundation colors strong, which is the largest foundation range around, so chances are good you’re going to find your shade,” she says. “And they also mail you little teeny sample packs that are on a paper board. So it’s a very eco-friendly way to try out foundation online, which I think historically is a crapshoot.” 

From there, Denno says to opt for a good multiuse product—especially for beginners. “Axiology has been making lipsticks for years, but they just launched Lip-to-Lid Balmie. They are the most eco-friendly little crayons,” she says. “They’re super cute, add a pop of a bold color that looks great on every skin tone, and there are so many colors to choose from. So just find something that looks good on you and that you like, and then just swipe on your cheeks, swipe on your eyes, swipe in your lip. And it’s so easy to wear. It’s totally great for the novice.”

As for blush, try LYS Beauty, a brand that Denno notes has mastered the art of rich, luxe color. “It’s created from a makeup artist who has years of experience and created this line,” she notes. “Really gorgeous formulations, great color payoff.”

Denno, who notes she adores Gucci Westman Lit Up Highlight Stick, says you can effortlessly add dimension to your face with a little shine. “Then it’s just putting them on the high plains of your face, bridge of your nose, and your Cupid’s bow. I will just swipe it on different places on my face,” she says. “Oh, and I put it around my eyebrows. Just to give a little more dimension by way of light and light reflection.”

Then, it’s all on the eyes. “I always start with mascara because, for me, mascara has been my No. 1 thing,” she says. Adding a layer of mascara can help brighten and open up the eyes—as well as make them appear larger. “ILIA’s mascara is the best one on the market.” 

She also etches in her brows with Kimiko or Alima Pure. “I never used to do my brows, but after going through perimenopause, I wanted to use products to help lift them back up for a more youthful appearance.”

As for high potency pigment options like shadows, blush, and lipstick? Well, Denno’s got recommendations for that too. “Aether Beauty makes gorgeous pack paperboard palettes of eyeshadow that are really nice, creamy, and blendable,” she says. “You can even use your finger to smudge them on.”

If you’re one to experiment with color, look no further than Rituel de Fille, the makeup brand for proper makeup lovers. “There’s really fun products from Rituel de Fille, three sisters who created really cool different products: There’s iridescent shades, fun pops of color, and all in little compacts.”